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The differences between lead medical assistants and medical laboratory assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a lead medical assistant and a medical laboratory assistant. Additionally, a lead medical assistant has an average salary of $38,303, which is higher than the $34,673 average annual salary of a medical laboratory assistant.
The top three skills for a lead medical assistant include patients, vital signs and patient care. The most important skills for a medical laboratory assistant are patients, customer service, and data entry.
| Lead Medical Assistant | Medical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $38,303 | $34,673 |
| Hourly rate | $18.41 | $16.67 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 163,228 | 124,322 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 27% | Associate Degree, 27% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A lead medical assistant performs administrative support tasks for clinical teams to provide optimal care and services to patients. They work under the supervision of a clinical manager whom they report to regularly. Among their responsibilities include establishing staff schedules and guidelines, conducting research and analysis, coordinating staff, reviewing medical charts and reports, organizing documents, and training new members of the workforce. Moreover, they may also assist patients by answering inquiries, performing follow-up calls to confirm appointment schedules, and preparing patients by giving them the information they need.
A medical laboratory assistant is in charge of performing support tasks while under the supervision and directives of a more experienced medical technician or scientist. Their responsibilities typically revolve around collecting samples such as blood and tissues, preparing slides, running tests using machines and equipment, and maintaining records of all procedures and results. Furthermore, a medical laboratory assistant must also keep the cleanliness of the laboratory, organize and monitor inventories, procure supplies, and implement the laboratory's policies and regulations.
Lead medical assistants and medical laboratory assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Medical Assistant | Medical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average salary | $38,303 | $34,673 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $63,000 | Between $27,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Eugene, OR |
| Highest paying state | - | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | - | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a lead medical assistant and a medical laboratory assistant in terms of educational background:
| Lead Medical Assistant | Medical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 27% | Associate Degree, 27% |
| Most common major | Medical Assisting Services | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between lead medical assistants' and medical laboratory assistants' demographics:
| Lead Medical Assistant | Medical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 11.9% Female, 88.1% | Male, 18.9% Female, 81.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 26.6% Asian, 8.7% White, 49.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 22.4% Asian, 9.1% White, 51.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |